Beginning of Everything
by Requiem of Flames
Summary: James was an arrogant pig, everyone knew that. So how did he end up with Lily Evans of all people? Sirius tells Harry everything.


**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything. Except the plot! Leave it be!

**A/N**: Hi again! FEAR NOT!! GIRL OF HIS DREAMS IS FINISHED BEING WRITTEN!! XD I'll post it ASAP.  
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**Beginning of Everything**

_"Sirius?" Harry wrapped his arms around his lanky legs and drew his knees to his chest as he stared into the fireplace of his godfather's sitting room. Grimmauld Place was quiet for the evening; only he and Sirius remained awake. "How did my mother and father get together? I've heard all the stories, you know. It… sounds like he was a real prat to her."_

_Sirius stared at him thoughtfully, and smiled a sad, wistful smile. _

"_It was many years ago… But I remember it well."_

"_And?"_

"_One thing you ought to know about your father, though I'm sure you've already heard… is that he was very arrogant and extremely possessive…"_

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"I've officially decided," James started epically, throwing his arms around Sirius' shoulder, "that Lily Evans is mine." Sirius could only laugh his barking laugh while Remus and Peter shook their heads in unison. When his laughter subsided, Sirius was still grinning.

"Prongsie, I'd hate to break it to you, but Evans can't even look at you without glaring daggers into your face."

"That, my good friend, is beside the point. Whether she likes it or not, she's mine." James struck a dashing pose, until the object of their conversation rounded the corner and began walking toward them in the hallway. James immediately ran his fingers through his hair and flashed her one of his handsome, stunning grins. Lily glanced at him, threw her nose in the air, and brushed past him forcefully. James turned to speak, but noticed a small, off-white triangle flutter to the floor from her bag.

"Oi, Evans-!" She quickened her pace to avoid him, and he picked up the piece of parchment with a flick of his wand.

_**Hey Lily!  
Want to join me in the library this evening? I want to study together.**_

_**~ Jamison Parker.**_

James' first reaction was to snicker. "What kind of name is Jamison?!" He showed the others the note, and Peter's eyes flashed with recognition of the name.

"Jamison Parker, from Ravenclaw?"

"Oh yeah," Remus said, suddenly remembering. "Lily has a crush on him."

James felt his eye twitch. "What?"

"Oh, um…" He shrugged, purposely avoiding his friend's accusing eyes. "You know, he's snogged half the girls in Hogwarts… It just makes sense that she'd like him…"

"…I'll let that slide for now. First mate!" Said first mate (Sirius) jumped to attention in a mock salute.

"Aye sir!"

"Come! We have much scheming and scouting to do!" Together they strode through the halls, and Remus turned to Peter with a sigh and a smile.

"Shall we tag along? Someone's got to keep them out of trouble."

"As always," Peter said, faithfully following his companions.

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"That's him," James whispered conspiratorially. He and Sirius were crouching beneath the Invisibility Cloak, stealthily watching a young, handsome Ravenclaw sixth year stride down the hall with a stuffed book bag and Evans walking – almost skipping, James noticed with distaste – alongside him. "Diffindo."

The book bag split at the seams and everything crashed to the floor. Lily gasped and bent to pick everything up, and despite Jamison's shock over his ripped bag, he still managed a quick peek up Lily's skirt before kneeling to help her. James threw the cloak off of him and raced over to Lily, outrage on his face.

"P-Potter?" Lily rose to her feet, Jamison's books in her arms. She flushed. "Did you do that?"

"Yes," he said, pulling her to his side. "Put those down and make him get them himself!" He knocked them from her hands and glared daggers at the sixth year. Though James was a fifth year, he felt no inferiority to the Ravenclaw, who was looking very confused.

"Lily? Are you two…?"

"I'm so sorry," she said, flustered. She shoved James away. "Push off, you bloody git!"

"Stay away from Evans," James told Jamison threateningly, ignoring Lily completely. "She's mine!"

"Wh-What?!" Lily's face was bright red now. "No, I'm not!"

"I think we should leave," Jamison said, picking up his books and scrolls. He wrapped his arm around Lily's shoulders and began leading her away, only to turn and wink at James. Before James could follow or even pull out his wand to hex the git, Sirius and Remus were restraining him.

"Hey, get off!"

"That's not going to help anything," Sirius said, trying to console his best friend. "You're just going to make her angry."

"Think about it," Remus agreed. "If you torture Jamison, she's just going to keep hanging around him to annoy you."

"She blushed," James said, pouting. He pulled his arm from Sirius' grasp and used it to brush his hair back out of his face. "She never blushes like that."

"She does now," Peter piped up insensitively. James snorted and turned on his heel.

"Let's go. We have better things to do."

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"Oi, Prongs! Snivellus has been sneaking around the Gryffindor hallway again. Want to go teach him some respect?" James waved a hand lazily at Sirius.

"No, he's not worth my time. Come here a sec, would you?" When Sirius plopped beside him on the couch, James grabbed his shoulders and stared solemnly into his eyes. "Be honest with me, Padfoot, ol' friend. Am I handsome?"

"Well, James, I've never really been one to think of guys as handsome… excluding me, o' course…"

"Sirius."

"You're almost as handsome as me, Prongs!" James rolled his eyes and turned away, back to his parchment. His quill lay forgotten on the table as he stared unblinkingly at the scroll, rereading what he had written over and over again. Sirius watched silently for a moment. "It's just a crush, Prongsie, she'll get over it soon enough."

"But it's not me," James growled back. "It's… infuriating."

There was nothing Sirius could say; he knew quite well that James' chances of wooing over Lily Evans were a billion to one. Instead, he eyed the scroll perilously.

"Are you… doing homework?!"

At this, James cracked a smile. "Don't be ridiculous, Padfoot! I'm writing Lily Evans a love note. I'll woo her with my literacy and charm."

"What have you got so far?"

"Evans, your hair looks like it's on fire, and your eyes are like emeralds." James looked up hopefully, only to see his best friend smothering his laughter. "Hey, I thought it was good!"

"Are you raving mad? '_Her hair looks like it's on fire_?'"

"Whose does?" Remus asked suddenly, coming to stand beside James and Sirius.

James looked up. "Lily's. Doesn't it?"

"What?"

"What?"

"…What?" Remus looked confused.

"Tell her the color reminds you of passion," a squeaky voice piped up suddenly. Everyone turned to see Peter shuffling his feet behind Remus. He blushed. "G-Girls like that kind of stuff."

"You're a nutter," James said, laughing, "but I'll take it!" He tore off a new piece of parchment and, in deliberately delicate handwriting, began his love note. Minutes later, the Marauders gathered around to view the finished product.

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Lily Evans was on cloud nine. No, cloud ten. Actually, numbers couldn't describe the feeling she had at the moment; she was _above_ the clouds. Everyone knew she had a crush on Jamison Parker, but she never truly thought she stood a chance. Until now. She read the note over and over again, unable to contain her joy.

_**Lily Evans-**_

_**I'm falling for you. I dream only of your hair, the color of passion, and the way your beautiful eyes pierce my soul. I want you to be mine. I'd be delighted if you'd accompany me to Hogsmeade tomorrow night.**_

_**Yours forever, **_

_**JP**_

With another girlish giggle, she headed down the stairs into the common room. She was in such a good mood, she decided to greet the Marauder's.

"Good morning, everyone."

"Why're you in such a good mood?" James asked, smirking. She waved the note at him, but before he could open his mouth, she replied,

"This! Jamison left me a note. It was even folded into a lily!" She didn't notice as James' smile faded, and continued. "He says my eyes are beautiful."

"They are," he murmured. Lily laughed.

"Thanks, Potter! I'm going to go meet up with him in Library, now. See you!" She danced out of the room, and James scowled.

"I can't believe I didn't realize we had the same initials."

"What do you mean?"

"I signed that note 'JP', Sirius. She thinks Jamison Parker wrote it."

Sirius winced. "You could write another note, mate."

"No, or she'll think I'm copying that bloody git." He tugged irritably at his hair. "I ought to hex him."

He was so distressed about this unfortunate turn of events that he skipped his first two classes to think it over. He sat alone in the common room, pacing occasionally in front of the fire. He stopped when someone entered the room crying. He turned and caught a flash of red hair.

"Lily?"

"P-Potter?" She turned to him with red, doleful eyes, and he was by her side in an instant. He wrapped an arm around her shaking frame and pulled her close to him. To both of their surprise, she didn't pull away. She sniffled. "I can't believe I liked him."

"Me either." At her glare, he smiled. "What happened?"

"He- He was using me, James, he was using me for homework, and- and- whatever else he could get!" She sobbed and removed the note from her pocket. "He said he never wrote me a note."

"He didn't," James agreed. She looked at the note confused, but the click in her brain was visible in her eyes. She blushed.

"You wrote this?"

"Your hair being the color of passion? And your beautiful eyes? Yes, that was me." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "It's pretty cheesy, huh?"

"Very. But it was very… nice." She smiled. "You're not a dirty scoundrel all the time, then, I see."

"Ouch." He placed a hand over his heart. "You wound me, Lily."

"JP," she mused. "I can't believe I didn't see that."

"I don't blame you. Love notes aren't really my thing."

"Clearly."

"Every word of it is true," he whispered. "I'm falling for you, Lily. I thought it was just a case of me wanting what I couldn't have, but it's turned into something so much more. I can't stop thinking about you, and new ways to ask you out. I stopped picking on Sniv- erm, Snape so you wouldn't think I was a bully anymore."

"I noticed," she said back. She flipped the note over, worrying it between her nervous fingers. "You knew."

"Knew what?"

"That Jamison was a prat. You tried to keep me away from him."

"Yeah."

"It was very sweet."

"I was hoping you'd think-" He stopped with wide eyes as her lips pressed almost imperceptibly against his, and by the time his brain caught up, she had already pulled away. "That's not fair, I didn't get to kiss you properly."

"I think you'll have plenty of time to do that from now on," she said. They leaned in again, their breath mixing together. As James reached around and wound his fingers through her hair, a sudden, wild shout startled him into pulling away.

"YES," Sirius screamed, ripping the invisibility cloak off of him. Peter lowered his head in shame and handed him a handful of galleons. "I KNEW IT!!"

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"_Wow," Harry said after a moment, staring into the fire. "That was really cheesy."_

"_That's what love does to a man," Sirius agreed, a ghost of a smirk on his lips. His eyes were full of nostalgia. "Those were the best days of our lives, Harry. When you find something special- a friendship, a love, a family- don't ever let it go."_

_Harry nodded silently, hearing the pain in his Godfather's voice. He stood, patted the hollowed man on the shoulder, and left him be. As he closed the door behind him, he heard his godfather's whispered words: _

"_Don't let them be taken away like I did..."_

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**A/N**: This was written because I wanted to focus on Lily and James, since Girl of His Dreams is mostly LeahxSirius. I hope you like it!


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